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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] GIS Revisited with permaculture, homesteading etc

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  • From: "Rich Blaha" <rich@mossbackfarm.com>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] GIS Revisited with permaculture, homesteading etc
  • Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:58:52 -0800

Roughed out answers below.....



> I'd like to start a thread on GIS and try to uncover technology that can
> be applied
> to farms and land on which permaculture systems have been built.

> Is it affordable for the non-corporate world?


I have heard good things about QGIS.org, which is a free, open source
Geographic Information System package. I use ESRI products for my employer,
which are top of the line, very powerful, and very expensive.



> Is there equipment and software available that a properly informed farmer
> or permaculturist can
> use to log, with GIS coordinates plus calculated space within identified
> areas (with GIS device, walk off
> the perimeter of an area such as a garden or a bed within a garden,
> calcuate the area within and give it an ID
> corresponding to its GIS coordinates)? This data could be entered into a
> database as a record with an array of
> appropriate fields.


Most GPS's that you can download/upload data into will do this. GPS
Trackmaker gpstm.com is a free (or upgradable) program that can help transfer
the GPS point / track files into GIS


> It seems this technology could have unlimited uses. It would be a complex
> system or reduced to a fairly simple one.

Yes. You can use it as a simple sketching tool, or model every raindrop
trickling down through your keylines.


>
> What equipment is available?

Garmin60Csx is common in our workplace...you could go lower-end if you don't
have any trees to deal with. Just make sure there's a cable/usb option for
computer connectivity

> What software is available?

Listed above.

> What can be done in house without hiring an outside specialist?

I'm self taught, with people who are very skilled to fall back on / ask
questions of. YMMV.

> Can GIS data be exported to a laptop?

Yes. You can also send data generated in the GIS to your GPS unit, so you
know exactly where you want to put that trellis / pond / other element.

Cheers
Rich
http://www.mossbackfarm.com/journal
or GIS categories
http://www.mossbackfarm.com/archive/cat_gis.html





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